Author: i9themeadm

On the 4th November 2021 the last session of the II RELOP Cycle of Debates took place, dedicated to the “Impact of Climate Change on Consumers”.

During the session, the concept of “energy poverty” was discussed, which still lacks definition by several States and, for this reason, it is difficult to identify the households that could benefit from State aid to overcome difficulties, such as the rising price of energy and the inefficiency of the houses and equipments used, making consumers even more vulnerable.

Climate change has a global reach, with an impact on all consumers, although not always with the same consequences and/or intensity, leading to serious energy disruptions in certain countries. The importance of the cultural change in consumption was highlighted in order to mitigate climate change.

The worrying effects of climate change on different ecosystems were also discussed, leading to the emergence of new and different needs on the part of consumers affected by them. The need to reduce these impacts was reinforced, in order to gain opportunities for energy transition (with endogenous renewable energy sources, for example).

Finally, it was concluded that the role of carbon capture and sequestration technologies to minimize carbon emissions into the atmosphere was of extreme importance, in order to halt climate change.

The session was moderated by the Executive Director of RELOP.

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On the 29th October 2021, the second session of the II RELOP Cycle of Debates took place, dedicated to the “Impact of climate change on the hydrocarbons sector”.

During the session, the evolution of this sector throughout history was discussed, driven by the growing energy needs of the expanding society. The current situation in the hydrocarbons sector was also discussed, where we observe a gradual replacement by fuels with progressively lower carbon emissions.

Regarding the role of renewables in this sector, the debate focused on the replacement of conventional fuels with low-emission alternatives. Examples were presented of traditionally oil and gas companies that are expanding their energy supply through investments in the renewable sector. Many of these companies are starting to invest in off-grid solar parks and rural electrification projects, in Portuguese Speaking Countries.

It was concluded that the future will be traced through the articulation of different energy sources, diversifying the energy mix through technological development. This symbiosis will allow for the minimization of carbon emissions into the atmosphere, contributing to the goal of “net-zero”, halting climate change.

The session was moderated by Olegário Tiny, Executive Director of ANP-STP.

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Music: Caravan by Firefl!es

On the 21st October 2021 the first session of the II Cycle of Debates of RELOP took place, dedicated to the topic “COP26 and the progresses to reach the Paris Agreement”.

In this session, the priority areas of the COP26 Presidency and the actions for the empowerment of climate issues were discussed. During the conference, the need for funding and the transfer of technology and knowledge between all signatory countries of the Paris Agreement was reinforced. In addition, the emergence of the climate crisis as a result of human activity was addressed. The panel of excellence highlighted the importance of mitigating climate change and adapting communities to it. The need to move from speech to action was also emphasized.

The session was moderated by Raquel Naili, from the Directorate of RELOP.

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Music: Caravan by Firefl!es

The I RELOP Cycle of Debates ended on the 5th November 2020, with a session dedicated to the “Innovation in the Electricity Sector for the Democratization of Access to Energy and Consumer Protection”. The topics discussed included:

• Innovation and projects in the electricity sector, through the scenario of technological advances in the energy sector along with public and regulatory policies;

• The democratization of energy access from the perspective of the legislator, through the analysis of the Brazilian legislative approach to combating energy poverty and expanding access to energy;

• The challenges and opportunities of solar and renewable energy in Portugal, focusing on the innovation model of one of the largest companies in the Portuguese energy sector, EDP Portugal.

In this session, moderated by Dr. Maria Cristina Portugal, Executive-Director of RELOP and President of the Board of Directors at ERSE, 114 people participated, with an average interest rate of 92%.

Innovation and projects in the electricity sector

Intervention summary:

• Analysis of the innovation process in the energy sector, illustrated through the Portuguese case.

• Discussion of key developments and diffusion patterns for different technologies in order to understand diffusion and technology adoption patterns.

• Discussion of the evolution scenarios for the propagation of electrification and the penetration of renewable energies in the energy system, its impact on policies, construction of forecasts and design of the policies necessary for its implementation and wide dissemination.

Democratization of energy access from the perspective of the legislator

Intervention summary:

• Discussion of legislative innovations within energy regulation to promote broad access to energy, with emphasis on electricity and consumer protection in Brazil.

• Analysis of the challenges and opportunities posed by the liberalization of the electricity market, the number of vulnerable consumers and the social and geographic characteristics in Brazil.

• Presentation of the legislative mechanisms funtions in combating energy poverty, such as the Social Electricity Tariff or the Fuel Consumption Fund.

Challenges and opportunities of solar energy in Portugal

Intervention summary:

• Analysis and presentation of renewable energy projects in Portugal, in particular those promoted by EDP Portugal.

• Highlight for the role of solar energy for the global energy transition, illustrated by the innovation process of EDP Portugal, highlighting the initiatives for the electrification of the energy sector and initiatives in the field of solar energy, such as the “Virtual Sun” projects, “ Electric House” and “Smart Now”.

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